


Reunion

by Hanahakicore



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Other, Persona 5 Spoilers, They deserve one, give these boys a hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-30
Updated: 2020-09-30
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:02:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26737072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hanahakicore/pseuds/Hanahakicore
Summary: Almost two years later, Goro comes back from his unknown status to try and confront Akira. However, that doesn't go exactly as planned.~He spun around, getting ready to yell at them before he realized who it was. Akira was looked up at him, his face twisted in both pain and in shock, his hand lightly shaking. "Akechi..?"
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist
Kudos: 71





	Reunion

Almost two years now...

Goro Akechi, who was presumed to be either dead or missing stood in the Yongen-Jaya station. He wore a black hoodie over his head, hiding from anyone who might recognize who he is. He walked until he reached the familiar backstreets he grew to know a little too well. Memories of walking into a welcoming café and being instantly greeted by the smell of coffee and curry. A curly blacked hair barista who helped out always welcoming him and always hopping to make his favorite blend of coffee. A cup he never poured lies into, it was always bitter-tasting just like his true mask was.

He walked through the streets, the faint smell of the coffee already hitting his nostrils. He didn't want to exactly walk in like nothing happened. So he leaned up against one of the nearby alleyways where he would be unnoticed. He unlocked his phone to keep himself occupied and to look less suspicious to anyone who walked by. He knew that he was here, he knew the right strings to pull to where he could find out. Although he didn't have a lot of sources anymore, he knew some people who wouldn't snitch. So he knew it was only a matter of time.

And that it was...

It had been about an hour, but eventually, a familiar black-haired boy walked outside of the cafe. LeBlanc. "I'll be back!" He talked to what Goro only knew was his former caregiver inside. Unleaning his weight from the wall, he stretched with a low groan and prepared to walk over. A certain black and white cat stopped him from doing so though. "Gonna meet up with Haru?" The cat meowed loudly. Oh right, Morgana. Kind grey eyes looked down at the cat and he leaned down to give him a gentle scratch behind the ears. "Yeah. It's been a while since I've seen her." He smiled.

Goro felt his chest tighten, he could probably approach those two but Haru Okumura was a different story. The last time the two saw each other, Haru was all too forgiving about the fact he put a bullet in her father. He didn't believe a second of it. Haru may be a kind-natured girl, but how could anyone forgive their parents' murderer? He could only assume it was because they needed a way to convince him to go with them. Which, of course, he didn't and the last time they heard him was in the engine room of his own father's palace.

Akira Kurusu.

Goro watched as he put Morgana in a bag over his shoulder, it wasn't his old school bag. It was a brown dufflebag, although it was about the same size. Both bags hid Morgana so that he could keep his cat-like companion with him.

It was certainly hard to have to discreetly follow his old rival, and he felt a little guilty doing so. He almost went back home but he felt this was something he needed to do, and he had to admit he did wonder how the other former Phantom Thieves were doing. Akira had met Haru at the flower shop at the Underground Mall, same old Haru. As far as Goro knew, Haru always had a green thumb, it was one of the traits she was extremely proud of. He didn't get too close but he was close enough to where he could faintly hear their conversation.

"Akira-Kun, hello!" Haru smiled brightly at the boy whenever he approached her. "Hi Haru-chan, what's up?" He greeted her in a kind smile. Goro kept listening to their conversation for a bit, using his phone again as a disguise. Haru apparently invited him there to figure out what plant she should plant next. He didn't feel it was something they needed to meet up for, but he never had friends to judge either. "How's Ryuji?" The name of the loud-mouth blond caused Goro to listen more closely again.

"He's doing good! He's finally able to do more since he's started physical therapy." Akira looked really happy to be able to share the news about his closest friend. Goro couldn't help but feel envious about it, but he brushed it off. It wasn't his place to feel those sorts of emotions, he was the one who deceived them. They continued talking about more of their friends, Ann went to seriously pursue her modeling, Makoto was in law school and living with Haru, Yusuke was finishing up a painting, everyone was happy and moving on with their lives. Goro bit his bottom lip, meanwhile he was still stuck in the past, how pathetic.

They only hung around enough to catch up, and for Akira to help her pick out some seeds before they parted ways. It then hit Goro suddenly, how happy Akira was, how free he looked. He still had his friends to depend and rely on, he still was able to help others when he could, he was still the same Akira Kurusu he met at the TV station. The exact person Goro felt he never could be because his entire life was built on revenge for Shido. It was then he realized, why was he even here? What good would it be for him to approach him after almost two years? He clenched his fist tightly, letting out a shaky sigh to try and keep himself calm, he had no point in being here. He had no right in even trying to talk to him.

He glanced once more at Akira, swearing for a moment he met those soft grey eyes with his but brushed it off. Turning, he began to walk away before he felt someone tug almost painfully on his arm. He spun around, getting ready to yell at them before he realized who it was. Akira was looked up at him, his face twisted in both pain and in shock, his hand lightly shaking. "Akechi..?" His voice sounded raspy like he was on the verge of tears. No, not for someone like him. "I thought..it was you but.." He trailed off and looked at the floor.

For a moment, Goro didn't know what to respond with. He came here with the intention of approaching him, but in the end, was going to leave him to live on with his life. The fact he got caught was hard to believe, but this was Akira they were talking about. "Yes, it's me. What about it?" Goro decided to do what he did most of his life. Put up a mask like he didn't care, that he didn't care to see him. He didn't know if it was because he wanted to lie to himself or him, but either way it was the only response he felt he could give.

Silence passed between the two of them for a few moments, Akira staring down at the ground before he looked up sharply. His eyes twinkled with what Goro could guess were tears, but it also had anger in them. "Why didn't you tell me?" it was a question but it almost came out like a demand. Goro let a fake smirk curl onto his lips, "What good what would it have been? You're clearly happy." _Disgusting._ He felt his chest ache as he silently put himself down for the act.

Akira glanced around, studying the mall then looked back up at him. "Let's not talk here. Can we go back to LeBlanc? Morgana went with Haru because I told him I wanted to be alone." Goro studied the bag on his shoulder, noticing how it did indeed look lighter. He wanted to say no, he wanted to say no so badly but for once his lips said the truth, "Fine."  
  
They didn't talk the entire train ride there, the entrance of the café had a closed sign and Akira pulled out a pair of keys and unlocked the door. _He must've told Sojiro to close early._ They walked in and he motioned him to sit at one of the booths, Goro did so without a word. He examined the café, nothing really changed about it which felt slightly comforting, but what felt most comforting was seeing Akira go behind the bar to brew a cup of coffee. "You really don't--" "It's fine." He tried to protest before getting cut off.

Once the coffee was done, Akira placed it in front of him and sat across with his own cup. "I figured you couldn't really talk there, that's why I felt we should come back here." He started, taking a sip from the cup, "It would have been nice to know you were alive at least." The next part was harsh and for a moment Goro debated on drowning himself in the coffee to avoid answering. But he knew Akira was stubborn, not as stubborn as he was, but he could be. "Well, I am." He replied sternly, taking a calming sip from his own cup. The same mask. The same café. The same person.

A sigh from the other in front of him made him glance from behind his cup, "I can see that but...do you even know how long it's been?" He sounded so upset. Goro couldn't let his mask down again, he knew Akira was better off. He had to make him realize it too. "Almost two years, yes I'm aware." A sudden slam on the table and rattling of the cup caused him to jump, it took a moment for him to realize it was from Akira. He never saw the former leader lose his cool like that, other than the strange ailments they got in the metaverse. "What is it?" He asked calmly, raising an eyebrow. _Keep up the act. Keep it up._

"Two years, Goro." The use of his first name being used was slightly unsettling, "Two years to wonder what happened to you. Half of that spent asking Sae if she's heard from you." Goro certainly did feel guilty for it. He spent the time hiding from any of Shido's lingering men, hiding from the thieves, not wanting or caring for anyone to know his status. It's not like he felt like people cared for him anyway, he even felt like his own mother would have been better off had he not been born. Shaking off the thoughts, he met his piercing eyes, how ironic since the last one with that expression was him.

"It's not a big deal, rather I was dead or alive." He responded coldly, "You had your gang of friends to keep you occupied." _Yes.. You have them, you don't need me._ Akira seemed slightly taken aback from that so Goro took that as a chance to twist the knife, "Have you forgotten I betrayed you? Tried to kill you twice?" He crossed his arms over his chest, "Are you really going to sympathize with a murder? The former black mask?" That's it. _The more I remind you, the sooner you'll realize you're better off._ "What you did was unforgivable." Akira kept their eyes locked, "But everyone knows you were willing to atone. Wasn't that why you did what you did at the engine room?"

At that Goro didn't have a response to bite back. _Atone_. That's how it was supposed to go anyway but he ended up surviving anyway. The only reminder he had to remember his near-death experience was a scar to match his older ones. "Are you planning on leaving again?" The question caught him slightly off guard. "Leave again?" He echoed only earning a nod in response. _I should._ "Won't it be better if I do? Your friends probably won't be too keen on me being back." His voice didn't come out as harsh as he planned it to be, in fact, it cracked a bit.

Akira did seem to think about what he said for a moment though, but of course, his reply was "I don't think they hate you, Akechi." At least we're back to my last name. Goro sighed in slight defeat, stubborn. "I'm sure." He replied sarcastically. "They might not forgive you completely. But they don't hate you." Akira was a lot calmer now, which was more of his normal self. Goro could feel his mind screaming words he could bark back and probably make this situation worse. But he couldn't bring himself to say any of it.

During the time they talked, Goro kept telling himself over and over he hated Akira. Hated how kind he was, hated how people depended on him, hated how he was everything he wasn't. When he walked into the interrogation room, he told himself this was all for his revenge. That he wouldn't regret pulling that trigger, he let himself put on an act so Akira didn't feel any pity for him before he died. But when he walked into his empty apartment and took off his clothes, the silencer fell to the ground with a hard clack.

He stared at it, trying to feel numb, trying to tell himself that it didn't matter. But he ran to the bathroom and ended up puking. The sight of Akira's blood on the table, the dead expression that stared at him, knowing he murdered someone he told himself he hated. But in the end he enjoyed their friendly rivalry. The one he...

"Then why.." He hissed, glaring crimson red daggers at the black-haired boy, "..Why didn't you listen?" He let the mask crack just a bit to ask the question that ate him up. It seems I'm unwelcomed. My mother is no longer... My excuse for a father... "I didn't realize..." Akira sounded guilty, "I should've, I'm sorry." Goro debated for a moment on rather he would push more, but he didn't. "But I at least wanted to keep our promise.." Promise... It clicked what he meant, "Wouldn't it have benefited you to change his heart anyways?"

"Yes...but he also used you and hurt you.." "So it was pity then?" Goro scoffed, he could feel his hands lightly shaking under the table. _That has to be it. There's no way you'd actually miss me. You just pitied me, just like everyone else._ Akira shook his head but he was prepared to bite back, "Are you sure?" "Akechi." He was quickly cut off, looks like he wasn't the only one prepared. "It wasn't pity. Not then and not now." _L..._ "Liar." his whole body was shaking, how pathetic. "I'm not lying."

His body reacted before he could even process his thoughts, "Don't try and use your charm on me, Kurusu." He snapped back. _Don't cry. Don't cry. You can't allow weakness._ Akira got up carefully in front of him, "Akechi?' His tone was careful. Don't pity me. "To think after two years, you could still piss me off this much." Goro lied. _No that's not it. I don't want you to pity me but--_. He was pulled into a sudden hug, he fought back against the arms around him. "Let go of me!" Akira's grip only tightened, "No Akechi, if I let go you're just going to run off again!" To those words he froze, he sounded so sad. But why?

"Why do you care?" He could feel Akira's eyes on him as he turned his head away from him. "Because you're an important person to me." The answer was so simple but Goro could feel himself breaking from it. He didn't deserve Akira's kindness, he should've just stayed away, he somehow still managed to somehow see through his act. And he wanted to hate it so badly. He still wanted so badly to hate him but he couldn't. " _Akechi?_ " The gentleness in his voice caused him to lightly jolt. It was so soft, so careful, so gentle. Something Goro didn't know very well. "Will you stay here?" Stay here? At LeBlanc? "I just want to make sure you're okay." It was almost like he could read his mind.

"...Fine." He didn't feel like he had much room to fight, nor did he want to. Akira would probably try and convince him until he gave in. Kindhearted Akira, always trying to help those in need, the whole reason he became a Phantom Thief. "You can sleep on the futon and I have some extra clothes." Akira said as he released his grip on him carefully, "Sorry about that.." He started to head up the stairs before Goro impulsively grabbed his shirt, Akira looked back at him in confusion but waited. "Is it.." Goro took in a shaky breath and looked up at him, "..Really alright?"

Although the question was vague, Akira seemed to understand as he smiled. "You don't have to hide anymore, I'm here." Goro gave a small nod and let go so that Akira could continue to head back up to the attic. His whole life was filled with both pain and revenge for Shido, selfishly using others for his revenge. But this time maybe he could be a little selfish in a different way.

Akira Kurusu.

The former rival of Goro Akechi. A former Phantom Thief. The complete opposite of the former Detective Prince façade. Akira who was always trying to help those in need, even him.

**Author's Note:**

> I promise my next AkeShu work will actually give these boys some happiness!! I was planning on ending it sad, but I decided on giving them a somewhat happy ending! I hope you enjoyed! :)


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